Falcons Not-So-Happy Anniversary: 6 Years Since Super Bowl LI Collapse
Feb. 5, 2017.
The Atlanta Falcons, led by MVP quarterback Matt Ryan, were set to play in their second Super Bowl and cap off a magical season in style.
On the opposing sideline stood the New England Patriots and quarterback Tom Brady, looking to add another title to an already formidable dynasty.
By all accounts, the game began exactly as the Falcons had hoped.
A dominant second quarter highlighted by cornerback Robert Alford's pick-six gave Atlanta a 21-3 halftime lead. Running back Tevin Coleman's touchdown halfway through the third quarter extended that lead to 28-3, a seemingly insurmountable margin considering how the game was played.
But as things unfolded, the lead was not insurmountable, as New England came storming back to tie the game in regulation and then scored on the first series of overtime.
Looking back, there are so many plays that stand out - linebacker Dont'a Hightower's strip sack on Ryan, the sack that Ryan took to knock Atlanta out of field goal range, receiver Julian Edelman's diving catch that few understand how it didn't hit the ground ... and more.
But ultimately, rather than a storybook ending, the Falcons walked off the field with a nightmare - and it still lingers around the franchise today.
Feb. 5, 2023
Now some six years removed from that fateful Sunday, the Falcons are coming off a pair of 7-10 seasons under a new regime spearheaded by coach Arthur Smith and general manager Terry Fontenot.
Many of the key figures of the Super Bowl LI loss are gone - offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan departed to become the San Francisco 49ers coach shortly thereafter and has since enjoyed a successful run ... but he's yet to finally get over the Super Bowl hump.
Coach Dan Quinn and general manager Thomas Dimitroff held their jobs for three more full seasons; a playoff appearance the year after marked by a one-possession loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, and two 7-9 runs. They were fired following an 0-5 start in 2020.
Dimitroff went all-in on retaining the core of that Super Bowl team, dishing out big contracts with the hopes of rekindling the magic - but it never happened.
The result was a salary cap mess left for Smith and Fontenot to try to work through, which has proved to set the franchise back at least two years - but the lack of success from the start in 2019 and 2020 suggests it's been more like four years.
Now, the Falcons are entering a "pivotal" third offseason under Smith and Fontenot, as the cap issues and aging roster are now out of the picture. Atlanta has the second-most money to spend league-wide with $56 million and boasts more players 26 years old or younger than anybody else.
Further, with Brady recently announcing his retirement, the Panthers starting fresh with coach Frank Reich and the Saints being in a similar boat as the Falcons with a 7-10 record and quarterback questions but having some negative $50 million in cap space, the NFC South is wide open.
And still, with so many encouraging signs surrounding the franchise, it's difficult to not look back on this date and think about what could've been.
You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter @DFlickDraft
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